


Human

by MelodicAscent



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Birthday Present, But I ought to warn you anyway, Cross-Posted on Amino, Gen, I don't think it's anything trigger worthy, Maybe a litle Sokai too, Minor Rokushi at the very end, Post-KHIII, Spoilers, Xion's Perspective, mentions of abuse, mentions of trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-14
Updated: 2019-10-14
Packaged: 2020-12-14 22:08:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,095
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21023012
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MelodicAscent/pseuds/MelodicAscent
Summary: A puppet. Lifeless and hollow. That's all she ever was. Forgetting that the first time had cost her and her friends everything. She must follow orders for her own good.She's not human. She never was and never will be human. The very notion that she could ever be such is a lie she told herself. Not anymore. She had a mission to accomplish.





	Human

**Author's Note:**

> Don’t hate me for not adding on to something else, okay? Sometimes I need to write one-shots. And sometimes I need to celebrate someone’s birthday on Amino. At least it’s short, right?
> 
> Happy birthday Captain Nilla.

“You are not human,” Xemnas instructed in his deep, commanding voice. “As before, you are a mere puppet. Keep your hood up this time around.”

The small figure in the usual black coat nodded solemnly. “Yes, Lord Xemnas.”

“You are a tool. You are going to help us bring about our goals of summoning Kingdom Hearts. You will fight for us. Only this time, instead of heartless, you will be fighting the Guardians of Light.”

“Yes, Lord Xemnas.”

“You have no sense of free will. You are obedient to me and me alone. And should you ever act out in defiance again, it will result in your immediate termination.”

“Yes, Lord Xemnas.”

“You may see some familiar faces. These are people who have forgotten you, people who have no idea who you are anymore. Show them no mercy.”

“Yes, Lord Xemnas.”

\---

She was like a machine. She faithfully followed every order given to her, never speaking out of turn and always remaining stoic. Emotionless. Which was ironic, because she had a heart. It was necessary in order to place her within the replica body to have a preexisting heart. But it was like she was locked. Her heart was there, but she couldn’t feel anything. Her memories were all there, but she had no attachment nor reaction to them.

They were images of a past that nobody remembered. Axel had betrayed her. Roxas had destroyed her. She had no friends. No family. She was just...there.

She existed.

She wasn’t human.

“When they arrive,” Xehanort explained to the gathered group, “Divide them up. We’ll construct a labyrinth to keep them apart while we take care of the guardians. Marluxia, Larxene, Luxord, take care of that pesky mouse king.”

Marluxia nodded. “Of course. We will do as you command, master.” Larxene rolled her eyes, frustrated with how compliant Marluxia was.

“A game of Egyptian Rat Screw, then? It’ll be my pleasure.”

Xehanort grinned in approval. “Riku, I think you know who to fight. Xigbar and Ansem will assist you.”

“I can handle that loser on my own, mas-” Xigbar appeared in front of Riku and pointed an arrowgun at his chest.

“Don’t got talking back to the master, kiddo. We brought you here, and we can send you right back, and you’ll end up just like him.”

Riku went silent and Xigbar returned to his previous position. “As I was saying,” Xehanort continued, “Terra and Vanitas, you’re responsible for Aqua and Ventus.”

Vanitas chuckled. “I’ll finally get a chance to shove that punk’s face into the dirt. Serves him right for saving Blueberry at the last second. We can handle them easily.”

“And finally,” Xehanort said, turning toward the puppet. “You and Saïx will take Kairi and Lea. The princess should be no problem for you.”

Young Xehanort spoke up. “What about Xemnas and me?”

“I want you to stay by my side. I’ll need your assistance with Sora. Xemnas will observe the other battles and return to aid you, along with Ansem. Does everybody understand their assignments?”

“Yes master,” the congregation said in unison.

“Excellent. Tomorrow, they will gather here. We must be prepared.”

\---

After she was dismissed, the girl was permitted to have some time to herself. She sat among the discarded Keyblades, holding her own in her lap. No, it wasn’t her Keyblade. It had never really been her Keyblade. It was Sora’s. She considered instead using one of the many that lay around her. She picked one up, but quickly realized that it didn’t have the same power that the one she already possessed did. Whatever wielder this blade was tied to took their magic with them when they perished. The blade was tied to the heart, after all, and their heart belonged to Kingdom Hearts now.

She couldn’t use her own heart to reignite a Keyblade. Maybe it was because the blades were so old. Or maybe it was because of her nature.

She wasn’t human.

“All on your own now?” She cringed. The harsh feminine voice that came from behind her was one she wasn’t fond of hearing. “Look at the little puppet, all alone. No Xemnas to protect you now.” She felt a hard shove from behind and fell face first to the ground.

Larxene laughed. “You’re so much fun to play with! I adored messing with the other replica, but you’re different than him. You’re just an empty husk.”

The girl tried to stand, but was forced to the ground by a foot on her back. Larxene leaned down and whispered in her ear. “I heard about what you did, you know. You caused quite a scene in the old crew. But I have some bad news for you.” Lightning surged through the girl’s body. “Here, you’re nothing. Try to step out of line and I’ll personally make you regret it.”

The girl said nothing, as per her orders.

“You must be wondering, ‘but why wouldn’t you want that? After all, you were a traitor way before I ever was.’ Exactly, little puppet. I won’t have your stunts messing with my plans. I could kill you in an instant if I were allowed to. Once we get Kingdom Hearts, I’m taking that power for myself, so do us all a favor and stay out of my way.”

“Get off of me.”

Larxene’s smile disappeared. “What did you just say?”

“I said,” the girl began to glow with a Firaga spell. “Get OFF!” Larxene was blasted back, Keyblades flying everywhere.

“Larxene!” Marluxia approached the two. “What are you trying to do?”

“She started it!” She whined, dusting herself off. “I was just having a friendly conversation with our little friend here and she blasted me!”

The puppet stepped forward to defend herself but was grabbed from behind. She looked up to see Xemnas standing there, a look of disgust on his face. “You are still broken.” He raised his other hand and swung at her.

\---

When she woke up, she was alone again and it was dark. Night had fallen on the Keyblade Graveyard. She reached up and touched her face, flinching at the pain. She healed herself and stood up, realizing that she’d been left in the dirt where she’d fallen.

She wasn’t worth helping, to anyone apparently, despite how vital she was to the events of the following day. But, that was to be expected.

She wasn’t human.

She pulled at her hair, some of which had stuck to the side of her face when her blood dried. She sighed. Broken. Yeah, that sounds about right. She had never been able to do anything the right way. She always failed her missions, always hurt the ones she’d called friends, always managed to screw up.

But that was to be expected from someone so flawed. So...no, that wasn’t right. Humans were flawed, yes, but she wasn’t a human, so she should not be able to behave like one. She opened a dark corridor to her designated sleeping quarters in the Castle that Never was, which served as a sort of home base for the new Organization XIII members. She lay on her bed and stared at the ceiling before drifting off to sleep, the words repeating in her mind.

She wasn’t human.

She wasn’t human.

She wasn’t human.

\---

Just as planned, the girl was separated from everyone except Saïx when the walls shot out of the ground. The blue haired man paid her no mind, his eyes glossed over with yellow. He was certainly different than she remembered. He seemed even more mindless than her, almost like he were being forced to follow orders, possessed. At least he wasn’t taking out his anger on her anymore.

She recognized Kairi immediately, but the other person she saw made her freeze. Lea...was Axel. And he had a Keyblade. So, he was one of the guardians of light. Which meant that somewhere down the line, he’d betrayed the Organization as well. How interesting. She wasn’t a traitor anymore, and that made him her enemy. He could have helped her back then. The three of them could have done what Roxas suggested, run off together. But Axel had messed up everything. Now it was her turn to follow orders.

Saïx immediately targeted Axel. Fine by her. She had a princess to take care of.

There was no thrill of battle. No fear either. Everything was bland and boring, just like everything else. After all,

She wasn’t human.

Kairi was sloppy. Clumsy. They exchanged blows for a while, but it was clear who the better fighter was. Unfortunately, the princess seemed to have an endless flow of magic, and kept healing herself regardless of how many times the girl brought her to the brink of death. The battle droned on for an annoyingly long time, until a new challenger showed up.

None other than Sora himself.

The girl felt...angry. Strange to feel anything at all. Perhaps negative emotions were allowed through the lock on her heart. Thoughts for another time. His existence seemed like a crime to her. She could draw all of her problems back to him.

Xemnas showed up. Rather than attack Sora and Kairi, who Saïx had managed to knock down at once, thanks in part to Sora being Kairi’s meat shield, the girl watched to see what Xemnas would do.

Axel was surprisingly defiant. “You were never my superior.” No matter how many insults Xemnas threw at him, that grin never left his face. “No one axes Axel. Got it memorized?”

The girl was shocked to see Xemnas destroy Axel’s Keyblade so easily. But she was even more shocked by how he approached Axel, lazer sword extended, and-

She acted without thinking. It hurt. It hurt so much. The sword burned through her glove and seared her hand. But she refused to let go. She had to come up with an excuse, quickly.

“Changing sides again?”

She clenched her teeth. How dare he accuse her of such a thing. “We need him alive. You know that.”

“We only need his heart in order to forge the key. We do not need his soul. Oh, but that’s right. You were friends. Then, you take his life.”

She stood up, ignoring the pain in her hand. Axel knelt before her. She remembered the last time they fought in front of the mansion. “Don’t hold back, Axel. Please.” And he hadn’t. Good golly he hadn’t. He’d unleashed on her his furry and his flames. They nearly killed each other that day. He only won because she passed out first.

Now he was on his knees in front of her. “Who...are you?”

Why did she even bother to try saving him from Xemnas? Everything they told her was right. Nobody remembered her. Nobody knew who she was. She wasn’t worth remembering.

She wasn’t human.

She raised her Keyblade, but...her hand trembled. And she hesitated. Why? Why couldn’t she do it? What was stopping her?

They could have been happy. The three of them could have left the Organization together and lived happy, normal lives. Even if she wasn’t human, even if none of them were, they felt like they were because they were together. And Sora. She felt some sense of duty back then, trying to do what was best for Sora. Sora this, Sora that. She was sick of Sora.

So when he appeared in front of her, she let him feel all of her fury. She hated him so much. He was caving underneath her blows. And were those tears? Pitiful. “It’s alright! You can stop now!”

He sounded broken. He sounded sad and hurt and like he cared about everyone around him. He sounded like her. She gasped. And then he did it. He said it. He said the one word that changed everything. “It’s alright…”

“Xion…”

How did he...how had he...her name...he knew her name…

Tears rolled down her cheeks and her Keyblade clattered to the ground. That one word had unlocked her heart, set all of her feelings free. She grabbed her head, the rush of emotion too much to handle at once.

“Useless puppet.” Xemnas struck her once more, throwing her back into Sora. Her hood fell back, revealing her black hair and feminine features.

She was Xion. She wasn’t Sora. She wasn’t a replica or a puppet or a tool. She was a friend, she had a family. Axel remembered everything in an instant, and called out her name. Xion.

Xion.

Xion.

Yes, that’s right.

She was Xion.

And Xion was a person, just like everyone else. Xion was loved and wanted and had memories, both happy and sad. Xion had felt elation and heartbreak. Xion had a heart.

She was human.

She was out for a few moments, but when she came to, she saw a flash of light. Dust was kicked up everywhere.

“Hands off my friends.”

It was impossible. There was no way he was here. Maybe it was Ventus, maybe he defeated Vanitas and Terra already and came to help.

But those Keyblades, that coat, and that look in his eyes. Xion doubted Ven had ever looked that serious in his life. There was no doubt about it.

“Roxas,” Axel said, his trademark smile returning.

Roxas turned around and smiled. “My turn.”

Not on his own. Not if Xion could help it. She climbed to her feet. “Roxas…”

Wait...no, he...he didn’t recognize her. Not yet. He may have smiled at Axel, but he barely gave her a sideways glance. It hurt. She was already in pain physically, but that wounded her heart. She didn’t pay much attention to what he said to Xemnas.

Maybe she should have been. Maybe she could have stopped him from taking Kairi. All in one fleeting moment, responsibility shifted places. Axel could no longer be a guardian of light without his Keyblade. And Kairi was gone.

Which left Roxas and Xion to take their places.

How ironic that she would not only be freed from darkness, but recruited into the light so quickly.

She ran up to join Sora and Roxas, ready to take down Saïx, and…

There it was.

Roxas looked at her as she approached, and they made eye contact. She watched it. She could see the recognition in his eyes, the realization of who she was. She flashed him a smile before preparing for battle.

\---

She wasn’t too sad to see Saïx go. She was admittedly a little spiteful for how poorly he treated her back in the original organization. Before she knew it, Sora was off, searching for Kairi and Xehanort. He’d find his way, she knew it.

With the battle over and Sora gone, her fighting instincts faded. The reality came crashing down on her. What she’d done. How she’d hurt them. Everything that had happened. She couldn’t stop the tears from coming. She trembled, racked with sobs. She had so much she wanted to say. So much she had to apologize for.

Roxas ran up to her, worry in his eyes, but like her, he seemed to be unsure of exactly how to get the words out that so desperately needed to be said. Axel was the one to finally break the ice. “Guess I shoulda’ brought some ice cream,” he quipped.

She smiled, grateful for the lighthearted comment, before the three of them rushed together, letting their emotions flow.

She had never felt more human.

\---

Everything was kinda messy after that. Kairi had been destroyed by Xehanort, but Sora destroyed Xehanort, so that was a plus. Turns out all of the Organization had perished, with only her and Terra, who was restored to his original self, as the exceptions.

Sora went off to find Kairi, despite being warned against it. For a time, everything settled down. Xion finally got normal clothes, saying goodbye to her old coat forever. She, Roxas, and Axel settled in Twilight Town since out of all of the worlds, it felt like it was the closest they had to a home.

She wasn’t totally sure how Isa had come back, but the implications left her concerned. If he’d returned, then others may not be far behind. She shook her head. Those were thoughts for another time. Besides, if conflict did arise, she had her friends.

Gummi phones were quite the interesting little tool. She could communicate with anyone anywhere, regardless of what world they were in. It was especially useful when Riku announced that Sora had brought Kairi back and was bringing everyone to Destiny Islands.

A day at the beach, after all that time. It only took them two years to get there. They ate ice cream, pretzels, and watermelon. They played in the water and on the beach, everyone laughing happily. There was some amusement from seeing Terra get confused between Roxas and Ventus multiple times. Xion even had the chance to bond with Naminé, showing her seashells and explaining how she had collected them and given many to Roxas.

As the day drew to a close, Sora and Kairi decided to take some time together, sitting on the paopu tree. What the discussed, nobody knew, but what they did notice was that Kairi wasn’t surprised at all when Sora vanished. Sad, yes, but she looked like she’d known it was coming all along.

In the time after that, Xion was a sort of comfort to Kairi. Sometimes the two girls would talk for hours on the phone in a conference call with Naminé. They were self-proclaimed sisters. Kairi’s dad had even insisted that Xion and Naminé were just as much his daughters as Kairi was, and wouldn’t take no for an answer. He even expected both girls to refer to him as their father.

Xion grew especially close to Roxas. There was something more between the two of them than any of their other friends, though neither were really sure what it was. They did know that they were drawn to each other, and found the greatest joy in each other’s company. Kairi had to explain to her that what she felt for Roxas was love. Xion had argued that she loved other people too, and Kairi had to describe the difference between platonic and romantic love.

So, Xion loved Roxas. The concept went over his head as much as it had gone over hers, but they were content to just accept things as they were, even if they didn’t really understand it.

Love, family, friends. A home, a life, a future.

Human.

**Author's Note:**

> I LOVED WRITING THIS SO STINKING MUCH, YOU HAVE NO IDEA. I hope everyone enjoyed it, especially you Captain! Happy birthday! Also maybe it’s not that short. Hey, it’s only nine pages long.


End file.
